PIETER WISPELWEY: MILESTONES – 6 CONCERTOS SPANNING 200 YEARS Pieter Wispelwey – cello Florilegium; Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra (Renes – cond.); Australian Chamber Orchestra (Tognetti – leader); Netherlands Radio Philharmonic (van Steen – cond.) Paulo Giacometti – piano, harmonium Channel Classics CCS SEL1498 4 CDs £ Haydn, Schumann, Dvorák, Elgar and Lutsolawski cello concertos; Haydn (arr. Salomon): Symphony no. 104 in D major (Hob. I:104); Hindemith: 3 Stücke für Violoncello und Klavier; Schumann: 5 Stücke im Volkston; Tchaikowsky: Andante cantabile (op. 11); also Arensky, Davidov and Dvorák. TPT 4 hrs 12'52

For the money, a bargain buy that contains excellent recordings of standard cello repertoire

At a mere twenty or so pounds, this re-release from Channel Classics of recordings made over the last ten years by cellist Pieter Wispelwey is an exceptional buy. Wispelwey, featured in March's Online Journal, is one of a new generation of performers who is equally comfortable playing both modern and historic instruments; thus we are afforded a wide range of composers and styles that span nearly two hundred years of mainstream cello repertory.

Wispelwey's approach is diverse, preferring to match, where possible, his choice of instrument to the style of music: thus, his performance of Schumann's a minor concerto, which uses a gut-strung nineteenth-century Bohemian cello, suffers from none of the harshness one would associate with modern-instrument performances. His is not an historically-informed approach, since there is little evidence of nineteenth-century performance practice; on the contrary, the Australian Chamber Orchestra, under the leadership of Richard Tognetti, have to understate their role somewhat. But the result is a more transparent sound, especially in the scherzo-like Sehr lebhaft, which contains none of the procrastination of Maisky's considerably slower reading (Deutsche Grammophon 455 574-2, Bernstein/Vienna Philharmonic, 1986), serving to make this an altogether more refreshing performance.

Wispelwey's Dvorák is similarly enticing; the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, under Lawrence Renes, lacks some of the conviction of the Bernstein-Maisky collaboration, and although the strings' slightly harsher tone does little for the ensemble of the first movement, an overall more flexible tempo and lightness in the solo cello, especially in the central chorale-like melody of the first movement, make this a very valuable recording. However, I have to admit to still preferring Maisky's considerably slower Adagio, a full two minutes longer than Wispelwey's; his touch is appropriately more varied and deeply-felt, and provides a greater sense of line and conviction.

Haydn's early C major cello concerto is performed with the period-instrument ensemble Florilegium in a delightfully-articulated performance in which both orchestra and soloist combine to provide a stylish, exciting reading...

Elgar's concerto, with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra under Jac van Steen is less convincing, and we would need to go a long way to better Du Pré's classic 1965 recording with Barborolli and the LSO (EMI, CDC7 47329 2) in terms of all-round performance and recording quality. Wispelwey tends towards a less reflective performance and the orchestra displays, in places, a decidedly problematic sense of ensemble and shape.

Two items, however, make this set a valuable asset to any collector's shelves. Outstripping anything else available on the market, Haydn's early C major cello concerto is performed with the period-instrument ensemble Florilegium in a delightfully-articulated performance in which both orchestra and soloist combine to provide a stylish, exciting reading; if you want to hear some truly virtuoso playing, listen to Wispelwey's somewhat inappropriate, yet highly-entertaining, cadenza to the first movement. [Added to this is a bonus in the form of Salomon's transcription of Haydn's Symphony No. 104: it's not a great arrangement, and possibly gives out the wrong message concerning the state of English music in the early nineteenth century, but it is a valuable historical document and the playing is well-shaped and compelling.] Witold Lutoslawski's concerto, by far the most unusual piece on the disc, is an aggressive and impatient work that requires not only a sense of freedom from both performer and orchestra, but also a feeling of line and direction in the complex interactions between the cello and a hostile, over-bearing brass section. All carry it off with conviction and it is rare to see such a well-coordinated approach.

Considerably more tracks than those mentioned in this review are added bonuses. Pianist Paolo Giacometti, a most lucid and technically-accomplished player, joins Wispelwey in a number of items, including shorter works by Dvorák, Hindemith and Schumann, making this not only one of the best buys of the year, but also one of the best collections of cello repertoire available on the current market.

Alex Barton